The Dry January movement and dire health warnings about alcohol could be cutting into sales, and the COVID surge is already hurting bars and restaurants.
January may be the month of fresh starts. But for the booze and hospitality businesses, it’s also proving to be a time of unprecedented challenges.
The Post even likened the sales-dampening effects of Dry January to the COVID-19 omicron surge, which has resulted in bars and restaurants seeing a significant decline in patrons. The publication referred to the alcohol-free movement as its own “deadly new variant.” Rigie said it’s hard to calculate the effects of Dry January, but he added there’s no question that the recent virus surge has done its share of financial damage, especially since it came at a time when bars and restaurants were looking forward to the traditional holiday sales boost. Moreover, he noted there’s been no effort to provide federal financial support for these businesses, unlike the case earlier in the pandemic.
Fleming also questioned if any warnings from a medical organization would result in people curbing their consumption of alcohol. He said consumers tend to respond more to the positive news about drinking — he pointed to a famous segment on CBS’ “60 minutes” program touting the health benefits of drinking red wine — than the negative.